John 1

The Word Became Flesh

1 # Phil 2.6; Col 1.17; 1 Jn 1.1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3#Col 1.16; Heb 1.2All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4#Jn 5.26; 11.25; 14.6in him was life,#1.4 Or 3 …through him. And without him not one thing came into being that has come into being. 4In him was life and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9#Isa 49.6; 1 Jn 2.8The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.#1.9 Or He was the true light that enlightens everyone coming into the world

10 # Col 1.16; Heb 1.2 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own,#1.11 Or to his own home and his own people did not accept him. 12#Gal 3.26; 1 Jn 5.13But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13#Jn 3.5, 6; Jas 1.18; 1 Pet 1.23who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 # Rom 1.3; Gal 4.4; 1 Tim 3.16; Heb 2.14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,#1.14 Or the Father’s only Son full of grace and truth. 15(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) 16#Eph 1.23; Col 1.19From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.#1.16 Or grace in place of grace 17#Rom 3.24The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18#Ex 33.20; Jn 6.46; 1 Jn 4.9No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who#1.18 Other ancient authorities read is the only Son who is close to the Father’s heart,#1.18 Gk bosom who has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20#Lk 3.15, 16; Jn 3.28He confessed and did not deny it, but he confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”#1.20 Or the Christ 21#Deut 18.15; Mt 11.14; 16.14And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23#Isa 40.3; Mt 3.3; Mk 1.3; Lk 3.4He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ”

as the prophet Isaiah said.

24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why, then, are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah,#1.25 Or the Christ nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The Lamb of God

29 # Isa 53.7; 1 Pet 1.19 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32#Mt 3.16; Mk 1.10; Lk 3.22And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33#Mt 3.11; Acts 1.5I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.”#1.34 Other ancient authorities read the Son of God

The First Disciples of Jesus

35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36#v 29and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38#v 49When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40#Mt 4.18–22; Mk 1.16–20; Lk 5.2–11One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41#Dan 9.25; Jn 4.25He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed#1.41 Or Christ). 42#Mt 16.18; Jn 21.15–17; 1 Cor 15.5He brought Simon#1.42 Gk him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas”#1.42 Aramaic for rock (which is translated Peter#1.42 Greek for rock).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 # Mt 10.3; Jn 6.5, 7; 12.21, 22; 14.8, 9 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44#Jn 12.21Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45#Mt 2.23; Lk 2.4; 24.27; Jn 21.2Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46#Jn 7.41, 42Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47#Ps 32.2; 73.1; Rom 9.4, 6When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49#vv 34, 38; Mt 2.2; Mk 15.32; Jn 12.13Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51#Gen 28.12; Mt 3.16; 8.20; Lk 3.21And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you,#1.51 Both instances of you in 1.51 are plural in Greek you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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